[Main Mission Triggered!]
[Protect the legacy of the Gu clan by any means necessary.]
[Re-setting Gu Xuanyi's Cultivation.]
Gu Xianru's eyes widened. How could she be getting her cultivation reset? It was as if she were becoming an ordinary person. Her attention shifted as the holographic screen in front of her displayed a soft voice from Gu Xuanyi, waking her from her thoughts. With both servants standing motionless, the sudden change in Gu Xuanyi's demeanor confused them. The same was true for her mother, Gu Xianru.
Seeing the odd reactions from the three in front of him, Kim Joon-ho decided to speak, thinking of a way out.
"Mother, I need to talk," his voice firm yet slightly hoarse. Gu Xuanyi looked at Gu Xianru—his mother—with determination in his eyes.
Gu Xianru nodded, glancing at the two servants. "You two wait outside, let us speak."
The servants immediately left, leaving a tray of medicine on the table.
"Xuan'er, what is it that we need to talk about?" Gu Xianru's voice was soft and gentle.
Kim Joon-ho felt his heart race. Her voice was so similar to his mother's voice when she was hospitalized, so full of tenderness and affection. The small gestures of love he had long forgotten resurfaced in his mind, bringing comfort.
"Xuan'er, don't scare your mother. Tell me what happened," Gu Xianru continued, her face showing concern, her brows furrowed.
"Mother, can I request a teleportation formation array?" Gu Xuanyi asked calmly.
According to Gu Xuanyi's memories, the teleportation formation array could be used for round trips, requiring only a spiritual stone to activate it.
"Are you planning to go somewhere dangerous again?" Gu Xianru responded seriously, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. She quickly shook her head. "No, Xuan'er. I won't allow it. Don't even think about going somewhere dangerous again."
"Tianyan is in a bad state right now. There will be even greater conflicts ahead. I can't bear to see you involved in the struggles of the great clans, Xuan'er," Gu Xianru explained, trying to calm her child's wild thoughts of leaving.
The door suddenly slammed open with a loud bang, and a large man with a grim expression stormed in.
"You ungrateful child! You keep causing trouble, coming home unconscious, are you foolish?" yelled the man with a muscular build, his brows furrowed, his voice echoing in the room.
Kim Joon-ho immediately recognized him—the leader of the Gu clan, and Gu Xuanyi's father—Gu Aotian.
"Father," Gu Xuanyi muttered softly. Kim Joon-ho swallowed hard, trying to calm his own unstable emotions, as he remembered Gu Aotian had died in an accident ten years ago.
"What? Do you think I'll let you run away again? Last time you went to the Fushi Hall, spending hundreds of millions of Nyang on spiritual plants! And now this?" Gu Aotian shouted, his face darkened, his brows furrowed, his voice rough.
Kim Joon-ho steadied his breath, blinking occasionally. He looked up, meeting Gu Aotian's anger and Gu Xianru's concern. His eyes flickered before he calmed down.
"Mother, father. The situation in Tianyan is chaotic. The dynasty is declining. Other clans are trying to wage war and dominate the entire region, recruiting smaller clans beneath them. Meanwhile, the Gu clan is embroiled in internal conflicts. This won't end easily, father," Gu Xuanyi explained calmly, his voice no longer trembling, his tone firm and clear.
"Do you think I don't know about these problems?" Gu Aotian thought to himself, his face serious as he looked deep into his son's eyes, trying to figure out the reasoning behind his obsession with Mystical Beasts and Spiritual Plants. "What excuse will you use now to escape the clan? Let me hear it," Gu Aotian guessed with an annoyed expression.
"The Gu clan should distance itself from the world, father. We should become an isolated family in the mountains or build a hidden sect. That way, we can preserve our legacy. It will be safer for the Gu clan in the coming years," Gu Xuanyi continued, explaining his viewpoint with enthusiasm, a completely different demeanor from before.
Kim Joon-ho realized that he could prevent the destruction of the Gu clan by concealing their existence. With his understanding of Gu Xuanyi's character, he also knew about some of the Mystical Beasts and Spiritual Plants.
"Well then?" Gu Aotian asked with a chuckle.
Gu Xuanyi fell silent, realizing something was wrong. "Father, don't tell me that even as the leader of the clan, you can't make everyone agree?"
Gu Aotian froze, staring at his son with surprise. "Huh, has the constant danger and near-death experiences sharpened his instincts?" he thought, rubbing his chin.
Kim Joon-ho's suspicion was correct—the internal conflicts within the Gu clan were more complicated than external ones. His understanding of the people within the Gu clan was minimal, as Gu Xuanyi's memories had been consumed with Mystical Beasts and Spiritual Plants.
His plan had failed before it even started. He tugged at his hair in frustration, his face showing signs of annoyance, with a deep sigh.
Gu Xianru smiled gently. "Xuan'er," her voice trembled as tears fell. Her child had changed, becoming more concerned for the Gu clan. She cried with joy, wiping her son's cheek before embracing him.
"I understand your feelings, Xuan'er. Don't be sad about this. Let your father and I handle this complicated issue. You only need to live longer, longer than both your father and me," Gu Xianru said, her voice hoarse, her tears breaking through as a mix of sorrow and joy filled her heart.
"Listen to your mother, you naughty child!" Gu Aotian boomed, his voice loud.
Kim Joon-ho's eyes filled with tears as he watched Gu Xuanyi being embraced by his mother. He almost lost control, but a glint of determination flashed in his eyes. He turned to his father, "Then let me train in the Eastern Pavilion. I need all the resources to increase my cultivation," he said seriously. He had come up with another plan.
"Alright, I'll allow you to use the Eastern Pavilion. But listen, it's a place for cultivation. If I catch you running away from there again, I'll lock you up in prison!" Gu Aotian snapped.
Gu Xuanyi nodded, releasing his mother's embrace. "Mother, I will train harder."
"Don't push yourself too hard, Xuan'er. Let us protect you as your parents," Gu Xianru replied gently, patting Gu Xuanyi's hand. "I'll prepare everything you need in the Eastern Pavilion. I'll take care of the servants there, wait for the good news, Xuan'er," she said, standing up to leave.
"I'll prepare the resources you need, you naughty boy," Gu Aotian added as he left as well.
Now alone in the spacious room, Gu Xuanyi patted his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. "This is too emotional, this shift in mood is insane," Kim Joon-ho thought, taking a deep breath.
He breathed in the air around him, as if the feelings of those around him had been reincarnated in him. "The Eastern style really does give off a different impression," he muttered, opening the window beside him. The view before his eyes was even more beautiful than the promotional video he had seen before.
He wiped his hands through the air, and a holographic screen appeared before him.
[Status:]
[Name: Gu Xuanyi]
[Race: Human]
[Title: Unknown]
[Level: 1]
[Faction: Gu Clan]
[Talent: Unknown]
[Cultivation Technique: Unknown]
[Martial Arts Technique: Unknown]
[Realm: Lower Realm (Mortal)]
[Stage: Mortal]
[Layer: 0/10]
"Look at this painfully low level, is this really the appearance of the young master of the Gu clan? How pitiful," he muttered to himself about Gu Xuanyi's character.
Soon, a red holographic screen appeared before him. This was usually a notification from his hardware.
[You are lacking in nutrition!]
"Let me sit in lotus position and pretend to cultivate for now," Gu Xuanyi said casually.
Sitting on the bed in a lotus position, he closed his eyes, trying to sense the spiritual energy around him.
The red holographic screen flashed again with a warning.
[You have been forcefully ejected from the game!]
Quickly, Kim Joon-ho returned to the real world. His stomach was growling with hunger. Nearly an entire day had passed in the virtual game world, but only an hour had passed in the real world. The time difference created by AR Group exceeded that of other virtual game creators.
He rubbed his stomach, stood up from the bed, and headed for some food, lifting the lid on a dish and grabbing utensils to enjoy his meal.
His phone rang while he ate, though his appetite was high, he had actually lost his sense of taste. He couldn't feel anything from his food, not even a hint of flavor.
"Aunt Park, what happened?" Kim Joon-ho muttered as he saw her name on the screen.
He immediately answered the call, and a soft voice from the other side spoke.
"Joon-ho, I've tried, but there's so much I don't understand," said Park Kyung-ah from the phone.
"Which part?" Kim Joon-ho asked, curious.
"I became a branch family descendant in the big family. I'm now an Elder of the Branch, managing the herbal garden. But I have no idea how to complete the mission to protect the clan's legacy," Park Kyung-ah replied hesitantly.
"Before entering the virtual world, what option did you select?" Kim Joon-ho asked, confirming.
"The first option, character memory. I'm tasked with guarding and managing the herbal garden for pill-making in the clan, but the rest is just strange, unimportant memories," Park Kyung-ah explained. "This character never conflicts with other Elders, not even the clan leader. They're very neutral, and that's why I don't understand how to complete the main mission."
"So, which clan did you pick?" Kim Joon-ho asked while washing his dishes.
"The Gu Clan, from the Gushan Province. I live in Guangzhou."
Kim Joon-ho's eyes widened. Although he had suspected it, he hadn't expected someone else besides him to enter the Gu clan. "If my calculations are correct, there should be at most ten players in the Gu clan," he thought to himself, nodding briefly.
"Aunt Park, I don't think you need to worry about that. You'll figure it out yourself. What's the name of your character now?" Kim Joon-ho asked excitedly.
"Gu Qianyi," Park Kyung-ah responded loudly, and music could be heard in the background. "Ah, Joon-ho, I still have some business, I'll call you again," she said, and the call ended.
Kim Joon-ho quickly returned to his room, entering Immortal Legacy calmly.
The world faded, and he returned to the game, becoming Gu Xuanyi again. He surveyed his room.
According to the memories of this character, there were many strange things he had encountered while traveling the world. Kim Joon-ho stood up from the bed, his eyes fixated on a black ring with a small red crystal stone fused into it, resting on the nightstand.
[Item Name: Bloodstone Rings.]
[Type: Magic Artifact – Accessory.]
[Class: Heaven Level.]
[Description: The Bloodstone Ring is made of ancient metal and adorned with a dark red gemstone. This stone emits a soft light that grows more intense when held by the owner who possesses the Innate Body Talent.]
[Stats:]
[+10 HP/s] [+5 Qi/5s] [+25 Zhen Qi/3s] [+15 VIT]
[Special Effects:]
[Massage] [Storage] [Secret Realm Key]
[Usage Conditions:]
[Massage and Secret Realm Key can only be used when the user has an Innate Body Talent related to Universal Energy.]
[Background:]
[Level insufficient to unlock further information.]
Gu Xuanyi blinked in surprise. "Heaven Level, isn't that equivalent to a high level? Plus, it has a hidden background. This is good, I'll wear it."
[Triggering Special Mission!]
[Restore Gu Xuanyi's Cultivation, at Tempering Body Realm Layer 5.]
"So I really have to cultivate in the Eastern Pavilion. Let's test my luck as the destined son of this world," Gu Xuanyi said, filled with hope. Kim Joon-ho needed to earn more money for his family. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have to take this so seriously.
Gu Xuanyi got up, changing into casual clothes, simple black attire with a matching top and bottom, a deep red belt wrapped around his waist.
Knock, knock. The sound of knocking came, and a young servant girl stood outside the door with a happy face.
"Young Master, it's me, Yuhan," the girl's voice came from behind the door.
Gu Xuanyi glanced for a moment before replying, "Come in." He finished changing and his sharp gaze froze Gu Yuhan for a moment.
"That gaze, it doesn't look like the Young Master," thought Gu Yuhan suspiciously, narrowing her eyes as she observed his every move.
"Is there something wrong? Does my face disturb you?" Gu Xuanyi restrained himself, trying to act as if he were someone else.
Gu Yuhan quickly lowered her face, pale. "I-I'm sorry, Young Master," she replied energetically.
Doubting the behavior of their master would be seen as a betrayal in the Gu clan's rules. Kim Joon-ho knew this from Gu Xuanyi's memories and noticed how devoted the servants in the Gu clan were.
A faint smile appeared on his calm face. As the young master, he clearly had more advantages than other players in the Gu clan.
As for the players in other clans, it didn't matter too much as long as he could restore Gu Xuanyi's cultivation.